Gliding boat

ABSTRACT

A gliding boat comprising a central hull pivotally suspended between two self-stabilizing lateral floats so that the central hull will maintain its vertical position independently of the raising or lowering of the lateral floats.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Angelo Sorrenti Col-so Moncalieri 466/6, Turin. Italy [2|] Appl. No. 834,373

[22) Filed June 18, 1969 [45] Patented Sept. 14, 1971 [32] Priority Mar. 13, 1969 [33] Italy s41 cunmc BOAT 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

114/61 B63b 1/10 1 l4/6l [56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l,7l L726 5/1929 Fogas ll4/6l 2,347,959 5/1944 Moore et al. I 14/6! X Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell Attorney-Peter M. Boesen ABSTRACT: A gliding boat comprising a central hull pivotally suspended between two self-stabilizing lateral floats so that the central hull will maintain its vertical position independently of the raising or lowering of the lateral floats.

PATENTED SEP] 4 12m SHEET 1 OF 2 Fig.2

INVENTOR flbfit t ,JM

PATENTED SEP] 4 I97.

SHEET 2 0f 2 INVENTOR BY fit]: n ATTORNEY GLIDING BOAT This invention relates to a gliding boat with a central hull pivotally suspended for between two self-stabilizing lateral floats so that the central hull will maintain its vertical position independently of the raising or lowering of the lateral floats.

It is known that the major portion of the power supplied by the motor of a sea vessel is consumed by the friction exerted between the water and the hull of the vessel and by the inertia of the water in which the keel of the vessel must form a gap to pass through.

The efficiency of a vessel, i.e. its speed under certain conditions, can be increased by reducing the size of the part of the hull which is immerged in the water, whereby the water displacement and the resistance encountered is reduced. This problem has been solved by the conventional hydrofoil boat which, however, presents other disadvantages such as impaired stability of the boat and rolling in rough sea as well as low traveling speed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gliding boat with increased stability and reduced sensibility to rolling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gliding boat adapted to travel at an elevated position above the water surface independently of its speed, a characteristic which cannot be obtained with a hydrofoil boat.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the gliding boat comprises two tapering floats arranged parallel to each other and to the hull suspended for pivotal movement therebetween and four rigid beams are secured to each float and are connected upwardly in pairs so as to form four inverted Us facing one another and connected to two lateral transverse beams pivotally supporting the hull through a shaft extending longitudinally of the hull and pivotally mounted upwardly thereof in said lateral transverse beams, said shaft being secured to the hull in at least two points and carrying at each end a crank connected through an articulated rod system to the beams secured to the floats so that any deviation of the floats from their vertical position will increase the distance between the floats and the vertical line passing through the center of the hull gravity will always be located in the space between the two floats so as to obtain a self-stabilization.

In this embodiment the hull of the gliding boat has a cylindrical form and the boat is provided with a motor to drive a screw located in a tubular housing arranged below the hull in the longitudinal or traveling direction of the boat, the driving movement being transmitted through a drive shaft projecting from the bottom of the hull and located in a hollow arm which is preferably foldable or extensible to reduce the dimensions -of the boat for its transportation on land. The tubular housing is further provided in its interior with two baffle plates pivotally mounted in a horizontal position one in front of and the other behind the drive screw. These baffle plates are controlable from the inside of the boat and work as rudders by deviating the flow of the water along their faces.

The hull of the boat, which is suspended for swinging movement between the floats, may be provided at its rear with an extensible and retractable gangway supported by two winches to allow the passengers to get on and off the boat.

The articulated rod systems adopted in the preferred embodiment of the invention include connecting rods and levers of appropriate length to ensure the maintenance of the vertical position of the hull and the immersion of the screw in the water even if the floats and the supporting structure are almost turned over. This is ensured by the provision of an asymmetric crank at each end of the longitudinal shaft supporting the hull. A further double-armed crank is firmly secured to the driving end of said cranks so that the two driving ends thus obtained are disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal shaft on the same horizontal line. One end of the one connecting rod at each end of the longitudinal shaft is pivotally connected between'the two crank arms to their common pivot pin while the other connecting rod at the same end of the longitudinal shaft is pivotally connected with one end to the outer end of the double-armed crank so that in a position of outmost tilting the first connecting rod can work between the two cranks without interfering with the movement of the second connecting rod. The other end of each connecting rod is pivotally mounted on projecting supports firmly secured to the beams secured to the floats.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a part sectional view of a gliding boat according to the invention taken along lines A-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the the gliding boat and FIG. 4 shows the gliding boat according to the invention on a reduced scale in two different positions of navigation.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 2, two parallel tapering floats are indicated by l and support centrally therebetween the hull 2 of a boat which is suspended from the floats l for pivotal movement so that the hull 2 will maintain its vertical position independently of the raising or lowering of the lateral floats 1 produced by the mo tion of the sea. For this purpose each float l is provided with four rigid beams 3 connected upwardly in pairs so as to form four inverted U's facing one another and connected to two lateral transverse beams 4 pivotally supporting the hull 2 through a shaft 5 extending longitudinally of the hull and secured upwardly thereof in at least two points by means of collars 6 to the hull 2. The shaft 5 carries at each end a crank connected through an articulated rod system to the beams 3 secured to the floats l.

The rod structures of the two articulated systems are disposed in opposite directions and each rod system comprises two cranks 7 and 8 connected by a pin pivotally mounting a connecting rod 9. A further connecting rod 10 is pivotally secured to the other end of the crank 8 and the other free ends of the two pairs of connecting rods 9 and 10 are each pivotally connected to the projecting free ends of supporting beams 11 firmly mounted on the beams 3.

The hull 2 is provided with a gangway 12 supported by two winches 13. A drive screw 14 is connected to a motor (not shown) through a drive shaft 15 which is preferably foldable or retractable for reducing the dimensions of the boat for transportation on land. The shaft 15 is accommodated in a tubular housing 16 and located between two baffle plates 17 serving as rudders.

The rods and levers in the articulated rod system are of appropriate length to ensure the maintenance of the vertical position of the hull 2 and the immersion of the drive screw 14 in the water even if the floats 1 and the supporting structure are almost turned over. This is ensured by the provision of the asymmetric cranks 7 at each end of the longitudinal shaft 5 supporting the hull 2. The further crank 8 is firmly secured to the driving end of the cranks 7 so that the two driving ends thus obtained are disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal shaft 5 on the same horizontal line. One end of the one connecting rod 9 at each end of the longitudinal shaft 5 is pivotally connected between the two crank arms 7 and 8 to their common pivot pin, while the other connecting rod 10 at the same end of the longitudinal shaft 5 is pivotally connected with one end to the outer end of the double-armed cranks 7 and 8 so that in a position of outmost tilting, the first connecting rod 9 can work between the two cranks 7 and 8 without interfering with the movement of the second connecting rod 10.

The articulated rod systems work in the following manner; when the righthand float l is lifted by a wave as shown at the bottom in FIG. 4, the four rigid beams 3 of this float, which let us assume to be the ones shown on the right of FIG. 3, are lifted upwardly. Lifting of the beams 3 causes lifting of the supporting beams 11 rigidly connected thereto. While the beams 3 are being lifted they rotate in anticlockwise direction about their upper ends which are pivotally connected to the lateral transverse beams 4. Lifting of the supporting beams 11 causes lifting of the right-hand end of the connecting rod as seen in FIG. 3 while the left-hand end of the connecting rod 10 is maintained at the same horizontal level as this end is pivotally connected to the crank 8 which is rigidly connected through the crank 7 to the hull 2 of the boat. Thus the crank will always remain in the same horizontal position, as shown in FIG. 3, due to the load exerted thereon by the weight of the hull 2 while the connecting rod 10 when the supporting beams 11 are lifted will rotate in anticlockwise direction about its left-hand end as a center of rotation, the right-hand end of the connecting rod 10 being pivotally connected to the supporting beams 1 1.

Similarly when the left-hand float 1 goes down as shown in the bottom view of FIG. 4, the associated left-hand rigid beams 3 go down as well and will rotate in anticlockwise direction about their upper ends which are pivotally connected to the lateral transverse beams 4. During their downward movement the beams 3 will pull the supporting beams 11. The supporting beams 11 pull down the left-hand end of the connecting rod 9 in FIG. 3, causing its right-hand end to rotate in anticlockwise direction about the center of rotation formed by the pivot pin connecting the cranks 7 and 8 which remains in a fixed position as it is firmly connected through the crank 7 and the longitudinal shaft 5 to the hull 2 which due to its weight maintains is vertical position and thus will keep said pivot pin in the same stationary position.

The lateral transverse beams 4 pivotally connected at their center to the longitudinal shaft 5 and at their ends to the rigid beams 3 will follow the movements of the floats 1, i.e., when the right-hand float in FIG. 3 goes up, the right-hand end of the lateral transverse beam 4 in FIG. 3 will go up, and when the left-hand float 1 in FIG. 3 goes down, the left-hand end of the lateral transverse beam 4 in FIG. 3 will be lowered so that the transverse beam 4 will assume the inclined position shown in FIG. 4, by rotating about its axis of rotation formed by the longitudinal shaft 5.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

1. A gliding boat comprising a central hull pivotally suspended between two self-stabilizing lateral floats so as to be always in a vertical position, independently of the raising or lowering of the lateral floats, by a supporting structure connected by means of supporting beams to the lateral floats arranged in parallel and symmetrically relative to the hull at a distance from each other which is a function of the angle defined between the hull and the supporting structure and is smallest when such angle has an aperture of 90, which is the case when the gliding boat floats on clam sea.

2. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein four rigid beams are secured to each float and are connected upwardly in pairs so as to form four inverted U's facing one another and connected to two lateral transverse beams pivotally supporting the hull through a longitudinal supporting shaft extending longitudinally of the hull and pivotally mounted upwardly thereof in said lateral transverse beams, said shaft being secured to the hull in at least two points and carrying at each end a crank connected through an articulated rod system to the beams secured to the floats so that any deviation of the floats from their vertical position will increase the distance between the floats and will increase the supporting basis of the boat on the water surface.

3. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the articulated rod system is capable of coping with an extreme tilting movement and for this purpose comprises two first cranks at the end of said longitudinal supporting shaft, the two cranks being in asymmetrical relation to each other and the driving end of each crank carries a second crank forming a doublearmed crank with each of said first cranks at the ends of said longitudinal supporting shaft so that the two driving ends of the first cranks are disposed symmetrically on the same horizontal line relative to the longitudinal supporting shaft and a first connecting rod is pivotally connected with one of its ends to a connecting pin between each of the double-armed cranks and with the other end to first supporting beams located outwardly of the double-armed cranks and a second connecting rod is pivotally connected with one of its ends to one arm of each of the double-armed cranks outwardly of this crank and with the other end to second supporting beams located outwardly of the double-armed cranks, opposite said first supporting beams, so that in the case of extreme tilting of the boat the first connecting rod can move between the double-armed crank without interfering with the second connecting rod, the supporting beams of each connecting rod being rigidly secured to and projecting from said rigid beams secured to the floats.

4. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central hull is rearwardly provided with a gangway extensible by winches and a driving and steering unit accommodated in a tubular housing and comprising a drive screw located between two baffle plates serving as rudders, said tubular housing being connected to the central hull through an elongated supporting arm and extending in the longitudinal direction of the central hull and in the direction of intended movement of the boat so as to be capable of directing the flow of water therethrough in cooperation with said baffle plates.

5. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elongated supporting arm of said tubular housing for the driving and steering unit is extensible and retractable.

6. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elongated supporting arm of said tubular housing for the driving and steering unit is foldable. 

1. A gliding boat comprising a central hull pivotally suspended between two self-stabilizing lateral floats so as to be always in a vertical position, independently of the raising or lowering of the lateral floats, by a supporting structure connected by means of supporting beams to the lateral floats arranged in parallel and sYmmetrically relative to the hull at a distance from each other which is a function of the angle defined between the hull and the supporting structure and is smallest when such angle has an aperture of 90*, which is the case when the gliding boat floats on clam sea.
 2. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein four rigid beams are secured to each float and are connected upwardly in pairs so as to form four inverted U''s facing one another and connected to two lateral transverse beams pivotally supporting the hull through a longitudinal supporting shaft extending longitudinally of the hull and pivotally mounted upwardly thereof in said lateral transverse beams, said shaft being secured to the hull in at least two points and carrying at each end a crank connected through an articulated rod system to the beams secured to the floats so that any deviation of the floats from their vertical position will increase the distance between the floats and will increase the supporting basis of the boat on the water surface.
 3. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the articulated rod system is capable of coping with an extreme tilting movement and for this purpose comprises two first cranks at the end of said longitudinal supporting shaft, the two cranks being in asymmetrical relation to each other and the driving end of each crank carries a second crank forming a double-armed crank with each of said first cranks at the ends of said longitudinal supporting shaft so that the two driving ends of the first cranks are disposed symmetrically on the same horizontal line relative to the longitudinal supporting shaft and a first connecting rod is pivotally connected with one of its ends to a connecting pin between each of the double-armed cranks and with the other end to first supporting beams located outwardly of the double-armed cranks and a second connecting rod is pivotally connected with one of its ends to one arm of each of the double-armed cranks outwardly of this crank and with the other end to second supporting beams located outwardly of the double-armed cranks, opposite said first supporting beams, so that in the case of extreme tilting of the boat the first connecting rod can move between the double-armed crank without interfering with the second connecting rod, the supporting beams of each connecting rod being rigidly secured to and projecting from said rigid beams secured to the floats.
 4. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central hull is rearwardly provided with a gangway extensible by winches and a driving and steering unit accommodated in a tubular housing and comprising a drive screw located between two baffle plates serving as rudders, said tubular housing being connected to the central hull through an elongated supporting arm and extending in the longitudinal direction of the central hull and in the direction of intended movement of the boat so as to be capable of directing the flow of water therethrough in cooperation with said baffle plates.
 5. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elongated supporting arm of said tubular housing for the driving and steering unit is extensible and retractable.
 6. A gliding boat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elongated supporting arm of said tubular housing for the driving and steering unit is foldable. 